Shark Alerts Go Nationwide—At What Cost?

A shark fin emerging from calm ocean waters under a blue sky

A heartbreaking shark attack on an Alabama teen has now triggered a nationwide phone-alert system that raises new questions about risk, cost, and government reach.

Story Snapshot

Congress passed **Lulu’s Law**, sending a shark-attack alert bill to President Trump after bipartisan votes in both chambers.
The law is named for Alabama teen Lulu Gribbin, who lost a hand and leg in a 2024 shark attack and pushed hard for these alerts.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) must now allow **wireless emergency alerts** for confirmed shark attacks, similar to Amber Alerts and weather warnings.
Critics note shark attacks are extremely rare and fear another permanent federal alert category without clear proof it saves lives.

From Alabama Tragedy To National Law

In June 2024, Alabama teenager Lulu Gribbin was visiting Florida’s Gulf Coast when a shark attack cost her a hand and a leg and nearly took her life. The attack happened less than two hours and just a few miles from another shark incident that she never heard about in time to change plans. Her story caught national attention and led Alabama lawmakers to craft the “Lulu Gribbin Shark Alert System Act” for the state’s Gulf counties. That same story soon moved to Washington.

Alabama’s bill allows emergency managers in Baldwin and Mobile counties to send Amber-Alert style texts when there is a confirmed unprovoked shark attack near the shoreline. The alerts go only to cell phones in a tight geofenced area, not the whole state. Governor Kay Ivey backed the bill as one more tool to keep visitors safe in Gulf waters. Lulu spoke on the Alabama House floor urging passage, and the bill sailed through the state legislature with broad support.

What Lulu’s Law Does At The Federal Level

In Washington, Senator Katie Britt of Alabama introduced **Lulu’s Law** to update federal wireless emergency alert rules in Lulu’s honor. The bill directs the Federal Communications Commission to formally classify shark attacks as events that qualify for wireless emergency alerts, the same system used for child-abduction Amber Alerts and severe weather warnings. Under the law, state and local agencies can choose to send alerts after a shark attack, using the existing national emergency alert backbone.

Both the United States Senate and the House of Representatives approved the bill with bipartisan votes, sending it to President Trump’s desk for signature. Once signed, the FCC will have a set period to write rules explaining how shark-attack alerts fit into the current alert system. The alerts are expected to use phone geolocation, targeting only devices within a defined radius of the incident, so someone in Kansas does not get pinged about a bite in Florida. Supporters argue this quick, local targeting keeps people out of the water while first responders secure the scene.

How Rare Are Shark Attacks, Really?

For many conservatives, the key question is simple: is this a smart safety tool or more federal mission creep for a very rare risk? Official shark research shows that fatal shark bites worldwide average fewer than ten people per year, while commercial fishing kills an estimated 100 million sharks annually. Florida experts note that in that state, a shark bite is fatal less than one percent of the time and that people there are about 30 times more likely to be struck by lightning than bitten by a shark.

Historic data underscores how rare these events are close to Alabama. The Florida Museum of Natural History’s international shark-attack file lists roughly eight to ten confirmed shark attacks in Alabama waters stretching back well over a century. Experts say most of the rise in shark incidents is tied to more people in the water, not more aggressive sharks. They stress basic awareness and education about when and where to swim as the main safety tools, not high-tech fixes alone. That context fuels concerns about making shark alerts a permanent national category.

Promise, Gaps, And Conservative Concerns

Supporters such as Senator Britt call Lulu’s Law “commonsense legislation” that simply lets authorities use an existing alert system to warn families when a serious attack happens nearby. Lulu herself has said that a nationwide system “would just be a dream come true,” seeing it as a way her pain can protect others. Alabama’s own system is narrowly drawn: alerts only after confirmed unprovoked attacks near shore, and only to people in the immediate coastal zone.

President Trump has signed "Lulu's Law," which requires the FCC to allow emergency alert messages for shark attacks. It was inspired by shark attack survivor Lulu Gribbin. https://t.co/ogI6RCaZCK

— CBS News (@CBSNews) July 2, 2026

However, the federal bill and related summaries do not spell out exact response times, verification steps, or who hits send in a crisis. There is no hard data yet showing that these alerts reduce injuries, because the systems are brand new. At the same time, federal and media briefings point out the extremely low odds of attacks and raise cost-benefit questions about building out another permanent alert category for a risk most Americans will never face. For limited-government conservatives, that is the tension: honoring a brave survivor and offering states a tool, without normalizing an emergency-alert state for every rare danger that makes national news.